Recently Ireland became the first country in the EU to approve plain packaging of cigarettes. Ireland’s decision to move forward with plain packaging is deeply concerning and will likely lead to tremendous problems for Ireland and the international community if it is implemented. However, before plain packaging can be made official it must be approved by the European Union where it is believed that it will luckily be struck down by some countries due to its correctly interpreted infringement upon intellectual property according to an article in theIrish Independent. Therefore, there is still hope that Ireland’s overzealous law will be struck down by the EU and the negative externalities associated with plain packaging can be avoided.

The Property Rights Alliance applauds HR 4423, also known as the Acre In, Acre Out Act, which was recently introduced by Congressman in Morgan Griffith (R-VA9) in order to combat the growing accumulation of land by the federal government.

In Washington, D.C. there is growing debate regarding the state of intellectual property rights protection. A strong supporter of intellectual property rights, the Property Rights Alliance understands the threat that the pharmaceutical industry faces in their efforts to protect their ability to obtain patents. Furthermore, given recent events, the state of IPR in Canada is deeply concerning.